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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26435707">Noctis</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skywinder/pseuds/Skywinder'>Skywinder</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Transformer - Fandom, Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Can't do more tags as it will give away the ending, Gen, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-War, SkyStar Week 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:29:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,017</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26435707</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skywinder/pseuds/Skywinder</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes you never know what you truly have until it is gone.</p>
<p>A late entry for the Sky/Star week 2020 using the prompts from Days 4 and 5.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Skyfire/Starscream (Transformers)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>SkyStar Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Noctis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A very late entry for the recent Sky/Star week.</p>
<p>Combined the Day 4 prompt for Intimacy/Vulnerability and Day 5 for AU of one's choice.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>“The way you see him here—like this—<em>this</em> is the way I like to remember him.” - Benjy Stone (played by Mark Linn-Baker), <span class="u"><em>My Favorite Year</em></span></p><hr/>
<p>"Do you ever wonder about it?"</p>
<p>Skyfire, slightly startled by the out of the blue question, glanced over at the mech, a red, blue and white Seeker, sitting next to him.</p>
<p>"Wonder about what, Starscream?"</p>
<p>Starscream hummed softly and looked up towards the Cybertronian sky. “Wonder what might happen if one of us dies and left the other alone,” he replied.</p>
<p>Skyfire cycled his optics, now more concerned than startled. “That’s...kind of a morbid question, don’t you think?”</p>
<p>“But realistic,” Starscream pointed out, “considering the line of work we’re both in. Not every world we’ve visited has been a peaceful one, Skyfire. One day, our successful streak could end.”</p>
<p>Skyfire now was the one to hum softly as he pondered what to say in response to that. He couldn’t argue with Starscream on that point. Exploration was indeed one of the more risky branches of the scientific field. Even so…</p>
<p>“What brought this on?” he finally asked, curious about what had caused his lover’s thoughts to take such a dark turn.</p>
<p>Starscream frowned, and lifted his gaze to meet the larger mech’s. “Nothing in particular,” he began slowly. “It’s just…”</p>
<p>“Just what?” Skyfire raised a browridge.</p>
<p>Starscream looked back down at the ground. “Lately I’ve been having a bad feeling about that expedition we’ve been assigned to, that’s all.”</p>
<p>That was the last thing Skyfire had expected to hear. “You’re not usually one to give much credence to bad feelings,” he replied. “In fact, you’re usually the one laughing at others when they make such comments.”</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Starscream said, with a shrug of his wings.  “Not sure why I’m feeling that now.”  He leaned back into the deep cushions on the sitting berth.  “Maybe it’s just the rumors coming out of Kaon and Tarn that are triggering this.  You know the ones I mean.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do.  But it’s probably nothing, </span>
  <em>
    <span>amari,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Skyfire said.  “You know how those get blown out of proportion.  I can’t see a gladiator able to do much from an arena.  They’ll fade in time, you’ll see.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Starscream frowned for a moment as he considered his lover’s words.  “Perhaps,” he finally conceded, though he didn’t appear too convinced.  “Maybe you’re right and I am just overthinking it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know I am,” Skyfire said with a grin.  “Now how about we get some rest?  Long orn ahead of us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pensive expression dropped from Starscream’s features as he smiled at his mate.  “Indeed.  Plans to make and supplies to purchase.”  He then leaned up against his mate.  “But first, I require some...</span>
  <em>
    <span>relaxation</span>
  </em>
  <span>, if you know what I mean,” he said, purring the last words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Indeed I do,” Skyfire purred right back.  He rose from his seat.  “So let’s get to it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Starscream grinned, laughter in his optics.  “Let’s.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took Skyfire’s hand and allowed his lover to lead him to the berthroom.<br/>
</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>Skyfire woke from his recharge with a start.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a moment, he groaned</span>
  <em>
    <span>.  Not again.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pushed himself up and off the berth and walked over to the energon dispenser in his quarters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he pulled out a cube and began to fill it, his blue optics dimmed with exhaustion and pain.  <em>Why am I having that dream now?  It’s been so long since that night…</em></span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The last night he and Starscream had spent together on Cybertron...  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Skyfire's hands clenched into fists at the memory.  <em>I shouldn't have taken his words so casually.  Starscream never was one to express doubts lightly, and what did I do?</em><br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He growled softly as the cube filled.  Skyfire knew what he'd done, played the concerns off like they were nothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But they hadn't been nothing, as it had turned out.  During the expedition, a strong ice storm had come up on one of the worlds they'd visited.  During the tempest, he and Starscream had become separated, and Starscream had disappeared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Skyfire had never found any trace of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He'd returned to Cybertron, only to find that the Iacon Science Academy had been shuttered while he'd been away.  Unable to find work, he'd returned to Altihex.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then the war had started, and Skyfire was forced to pick a side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hadn't wanted to, but after Praxus had gone down early in the war with such a heavy loss of life, staying neutral hadn't been a workable option.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Besides, he owed it to Starscream to keep an optic on two former flightmates of his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At least, that was how he'd justified it to himself when he'd joined the Decepticons.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Now, though...</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Skyfire shook his head and turned off the dispenser as the energon reached the top of the cube.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, he wished he hadn't.  Megatron seemed to become more and more unhinged as the war dragged on and whatever goals he'd had had become little more than ashes, as far as Skyfire was concerned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not to mention that Thundercracker and Skywarp had found a new flightmate soon after Skyfire had joined and formed a Trine with that mech.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>What was it all for?</em> Skyfire thought grimly.  And what would Starscream think of him, if he could see him now and what he'd become?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled the cube away from the dispenser and headed back to his berth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he sipped his energon, Skyfire smiled sadly.  There was no point in such thoughts, he knew that.  But every now and again, he did wonder...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And would have that particular dream as a result.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head once more and finished his energon, dismissing the cube with a squeeze of his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no point in revisiting the past, he knew.  It was dead and gone, like Starscream.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a growl, Skyfire pushed the dark thoughts away and laid back down on his berth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As his optics cycled closed, he heard his mate's laughter once more, loud and crystal clear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"I love you, Skyfire.  Don't ever doubt that."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Skyfire smiled as he sank once more into recharge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Never, amari.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yes, the AU was the reversal AU, with a small twist.  ^_^</p>
<p><i>Amari</i> was derived from the Latin word <i>amare</i> meaning "love".  Wanted to give Starscream a meaningful nickname, but didn't want to copy from anyone else.  Thank you for reading!  ^_^</p></blockquote></div></div>
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